SOCIAL NETWORK CREATION AND INTERACTION

• US 20130238697A1
• Filed: 03/06/2012
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: MEHTA, Japan A., KASSAM, Shafiq
• Granted Patent: US 9,641,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

A computing device may establish a connection with a user device and retrieve address book information corresponding to the user device. The address book information may include contact information corresponding to one or more individuals. The computing device may identify social network users corresponding to the address book information. Each social network user may include a subscriber to a particular network service. The computing device may create a social network based on the social network users identified.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing, by a computing device, a connection with a user device;

retrieving, by the computing device, address book information corresponding to the user device,

where the address book information comprises contact information corresponding to one or more individuals;

identifying, by the computing device, one or more social network users corresponding to the address book information,

where each social network user, of the one or more social network users, comprises a subscriber to a particular network service; and

creating a social network based on identifying the one or more social network users.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating a social network invitation to the each social network user of the one or more social network users,

where creating the social network is based on responses from the one or more social network users.

3. The method of claim 1, where the address book information comprises at least one of:

a name corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service,

a telephone number corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service,

a street address corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service, or

an e-mail address corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service.

4. The method of claim 1, where the particular network service comprises at least one of:

a fiber optic network service,

a cable television network service,

a telecommunications service, or

an Internet service.

5. The method of claim 1, where creating the social network comprises creating an association between a user profile corresponding to a user of the user device and a user profile corresponding to a social network user.

6. The method of claim 1, where:

the computing device comprises a set top box connected to a video display device,

the user device comprises a mobile device, and

establishing a connection with the user device comprises establishing a secure connection between the set top box and the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing a social network application corresponding to the computing device with a social network application corresponding to the user device;

detecting social network activity corresponding to the social network application corresponding to the user device; and

implementing, based on the detecting, the social network activity with the social network application corresponding to the computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, where synchronizing the social network application and implementing the social network activity comprises mirroring a graphical user interface corresponding to a video display connected to the set top box and a graphical user interface corresponding to a display of the user device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after the social network has been created,

establishing another connection with the user device;

identifying updated address book information corresponding to the user device,

where the updated address book information comprises changes to the address book information;

identifying additional social network users corresponding to the updated address book information;

where each additional social network user, of the additional social network users, comprises a subscriber to the particular network service,

communicating social network invitations to the each additional social network user; and

updating the social network based on responses corresponding to each social network invitation.

10. A set top box, comprising:

a memory to store one or more instructions; and

a processor to execute the one or more instructions, to;

establish a connection with a user device;

synchronize a social network application corresponding to the set top box with a social network application corresponding to the user device;

detect social network activity corresponding to the social network application corresponding to the user device; and

implement the social network activity with the social network application corresponding to the computing device,

where, to synchronize the social network application and implement the social network activity, the processor is to;

update a graphical user interface corresponding to a video display connected to the set top box to be consistent with a graphical user interface corresponding to a display of the user device.

11. The set top box of claim 10, where the processor is further to:

retrieve address book information corresponding to the user device,

where the address book information comprises contact information corresponding to one or more individuals,

identify one or more social network users corresponding to the address book information,

where each social network user, of the one or more social network users, comprises a subscriber to a particular network service, and

create a social network based on the one or more social network users identified.

12. The set top box of claim 11, where the processor is further to:

communicate a social network invitation to the each social network user of the one or more social network users,

where the social network is based on responses from the one or more social network users.

13. The set top box of claim 11, where the address book information comprises at least one of:

a name corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service,

a telephone number corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service,

a street address corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service, or

an e-mail address corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service.

14. The set top box of claim 11, where the particular network service comprises at least one of:

a fiber optic network service,

a cable television network service,

a telecommunications service, or

an Internet service.

15. The set top box of claim 11, further comprising:

after the social network has been created,

establishing another connection with the user device;

identifying updated address book information corresponding to the user device,

where the updated address book information comprises changes to the address book information;

identifying an additional social network user corresponding to the updated address book information;

where the additional social network user comprises a subscriber to the particular network service,

communicating a social network invitation to the additional social network user; and

updating the social network based on a response corresponding to the social network invitation.

16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by a processor of a set top box, cause the processor to;

establish a connection with a user device,

retrieve address book information corresponding to the user device,

where the address book information comprises contact information corresponding to one or more individuals,

identify one or more social network users corresponding to the address book information,

where each social network user, of the one or more social network users, comprises a subscriber to a particular network service,

communicate a social network invitation to the each social network user of the one or more social network users, and

create a social network based on responses to the social network invitation from the one or more social network user,

where the social network comprises associations between a user profile corresponding to a user of the user device and a user profile corresponding to a social network users.

17. The computer-readable storage media of claim 16, where the address book information comprises at least one of:

a name corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service,

a telephone number corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service,

a street address corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service, or

an e-mail address corresponding to a particular subscriber of the particular network service.

18. The computer-readable storage media of claim 16, where the particular network service comprises at least one of:

a fiber optic network service,

a cable television network service,

a telecommunications service, or

an Internet service.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 16, where the one or more instructions cause the processor further to:

synchronize a social network application corresponding to the set top box with a social network application corresponding to the user device,

detect social network activity corresponding to the social network application corresponding to the user device, and

implement the social network activity with the social network application corresponding to the set top box,

where, to synchronize the social network application and implement the social network activity, the processor is to;

update a graphical user interface corresponding to a video display connected to the set top box to be consistent with a graphical user interface corresponding to a display of the user device.

20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 16, where the one or more instructions cause the processor further to:

establish another connection with the user device,

identify updated address book information corresponding to the user device,

where the updated address book information comprises a change to the address book information,

identify an additional social network user corresponding to the updated address book information,

where the additional social network user comprises a subscriber to the particular network service,

communicate a social network invitation to the additional social network user, and

update the social network based on a response corresponding to the social network invitation.